More Like Her
by FlamingAshes
Summary: The hungry and desperate eyes of other girls leads to problems between Jace and Clary. Jealous Clary one-shot.


**Hello darlings! I'm back with another Clace fanfiction. There's not much to say about this one. It's just a short fluffy fanfic for you. One thing to keep in mind: Mendelin runes make the person who is wearing it invisible. Also, as I was writing this it came to my attention that there is a song called "More Like Her" by Miranda Lambert. This story is in no way connected with the song, they simply share a title. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Summary: The hungry and desperate eyes of other girls leads to problems between Jace and Clary. Jealous Clary one-shot.**

Clary had always known that having a "stunningly attractive" boyfriend (as Jace put it) would be trying at times. She realized early on that she would have to get used to other girls ogling her boyfriend or flirting with him while she was away. She learned to brush it off, never let it get to her. She never talked with Jace about it, as she didn't want to give him a bigger head than he already had. Instead, when she caught women leaning too close to Jace or pushing their cleavage into his face, she clenched her teeth, swallowing the vulgar insults she wanted to yell at them, and grasped Jace's hand, reminding him " _Hey! You have a girlfriend, remember?"_ To Jace's credit, his loyalty never strayed from Clary's side. When given the chance between gazing at an impressive pair of double D's or hugging his girlfriend tighter, he always chose the latter. Still, Clary had doubts in the back of her mind, telling her that she wasn't good enough for Jace, that he'd dump her and find a more attractive girl. Clary hated these thoughts. She trusted Jace, she really did, but her self-confidence seemed to drop one hundred points every time she saw a girl flirt with Jace. Too often, Clary would think to herself, " _If only I was more like her."_

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"Jace, hurry up! My friends don't care how you look, but they will care if you're late to this lunch," Clary yelled towards Jace's room, zipping up her jacket. It was a crisp, cool fall day in New York, and Clary and Jace were off to visit some old friends of Clary's from elementary school. Truth be told, Clary didn't even know these friends that well, but they had spotted her one day in a quiet Brooklyn bookstore. They had begun fawning over this long-lost friend of theirs, insisting that they meet up for coffee. "We haven't seen you in like, forever!" Abigail had gushed. "You look so different!" The girls, from what little Clary could recall about them, had not changed much since 5th grade. They were still bubbly, smiley, giggly girls, huddled together and whispering. Clary had agreed to meet for coffee, hoping to get the outing done and over with. She begged Jace to come with her, stating that he was her emotional support and she would be lost without him. He gave in, initially not caring much about the outing, but now that the time had come he was standing in the bathroom, grooming himself and making him and Clary unfashionably late. "One second!" he called to Clary, finishing up and swiftly grabbing his jacket off the coat hook, heading out of the Institute.

As the couple approached the coffee shop, Clary instinctively clenched Jace's hand tighter. She spotted her three friends at a small table, sipping their warm drinks and ignoring one another, instead gazing intently at their phones. When they spotted Clary, they all waved and smiled. However, when they saw Jace, their fun-loving attitudes shifted slightly. They composed themselves, put away their phones, ran their fingers through their hair. Clary clenched her teeth, walking over to them, saying a quick hi and taking Jace inside with her to order drinks. She knew exactly what was going on. It happened pretty much any time she and Jace went out. These girls would lose interest in her and turn their attention towards her boyfriend. Usually, it wouldn't get to her this much, but Clary was currently kicking herself for bringing Jace along. Why in the world had she thought this would be a good idea?

Jace sensed something was off when Clary didn't say a word as they waited in line. After placing their order, he tugged her off to the side of the shop a bit. "Clary, are you alright? Usually I can't get you to stop talking, but now you won't say a word." Jace joked, wondering if he had done something to make her upset. Clary looked at him. "No, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess. Once I get my coffee I'll be alright." She explained. It was a lie, of course, but he'd think she was stupid if she told him she was jealous. Jace accepted this, grabbed their drinks, and led her arm in arm towards three girls whom Clary was really regretting running into. When they saw the pair returning, they quickly whispered something to one another, grinning at Jace. He offered a small friendly smile in return, and the girls turned as red as Clary's hair. Clary took a deep breath. He thoughts were all over the place, jumping around and going too fast for her to even process them.

 _Just calm down. Jace loves you. Be nice for an hour or two and then you can go home._

 _Are you kidding? Look at these girls! They're gorgeous and fun and everything you're not. You should make a break for it and drag Jace back home._

 _No way! You're just worrying too much. Stop overthinking it and get to know these girls. They seem great._

 _They seem like a bunch of sluts. Look, that girl just touched Jace's arm. Rip her to shreds!_

 _Relax. Just enjoy the coffee and remember you're great the way you are._

 _If you were more like her, you wouldn't doubt Jace's love for you._

Clary shook her head, expelling these stupid ideas out of her mind. She started listening to the story the girl Emmy was telling about the charity work she'd done the past weekend. The story was one for the whole table, yet Emmy's eyes didn't leave Jace for a second. Sensing the tension in the air, Jace brought Clary's hand atop the table, holding it gently, as if to remind everyone of where his affections laid. Emmy stared at their hands for a minute, flashed a tense smile at Clary, then continued to gaze at Jace and reminisce about the wonders of soup kitchens. As soon as Emmy finished talking, another girl, Nia, rushed to tell a story about her exotic vacation in Bermuda. Then Abigail jumped in, speaking of her job as a teacher's aid and how adorable all the young 1st graders were. This pattern continued of the three girls rotating between storytelling, speaking mostly to Jace about all their good deeds, experiences, awful ex-boyfriends, etc. Clary was appalled at how obvious their flirting was, especially since she was sitting right there. She was even more surprised and angered at the fact that Jace did nothing to derail their attempts at impressing him. He listened intently to each story, nodding at the right times, laughing, grinning his stunning smile that had caused girls to faint. Jace was no fool - he must have known what these girls were trying to do. And he just let it happen! All the while his faithful girlfriend sat ignored by the same girls that had been so eager to invite her to coffee. Clary had had just about enough of this. She glanced at her phone, pretending to be shocked.

"I'm sorry guys, but it's getting close to 12 and I promised my mom we'd stop by for lunch." Clary lied, hoping she was convincing. She'd never been a great liar. Jace stared at her, confused as to this sudden development, but she simply kicked him under the table, a sign for him to go along with it.

"Oh no! Please stay! It's been so much fun!" cried Nia, leaning forward on her elbows.

"Yes! We've loved catching up with you!" Abigail claimed in a state of distress.

"I'm really sorry, but you know how it is with moms." At this the girls nodded, giggling for some unknown reason. God, these girls were the worst! Thank heavens she'd had Simon as her best friend in elementary school and not one of these bitches. "Thanks so much for inviting us though!" Clary said, hoping to sound sincere and gracious. The girls all beamed, probably proud of themselves for arranging this hang out with the hottest guy in Brooklyn.

"No problem hon! Call anytime! We'd love to catch up again sometime." Emmy spoke with such strong sincerity that Clary had the feeling she would be receiving another invitation to coffee. Great. Clary and Jace got up to leave, but before they could escape, each girl had to hug Jace and Clary goodbye! Clary felt fire rushing up in her body when Abigail held onto Jace a moment too long.

 _If you were more like her, maybe he'd hug you more._

The subway ride home was full of unspoken anger. Clary sat in the window seat, fuming. She had to let go of this anger. It's what she'd always done. She never talked to Jace about her jealousy. She always let it slide off her body, disappear into the atmosphere. But this time, the fury she felt stuck to her body, clung to her like a wet t-shirt. She tried to shake it off, let it go, forget about the whole thing. It was impossible. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw fire. And every time she opened them, she saw Jace, foolishly feigning innocence. She knew him. She knew he recognized these girls' intentions. Jace kept trying to start up a conversation, but it burned out quickly, snuffed by Clary's short, curt replies.

When the pair reached the Institute, Clary tried to make a dash for her room. She needed to be alone for a bit, maybe take a jog, just so she could gather her thoughts. Jace called out to her as she quickly rushed down the hall, but she ignored him. She felt like if anything else were to happen to her, she would explode in anger and burn down the thousand-year-old building. Quickly, she locked the door behind her, not wanting Jace to come in and try and console her. " _He shouldn't have to console you,"_ she thought to herself. " _You're being stupid and immature. Just relax."_ But she couldn't do it. This had been the last straw. No more being pushed aside. No more insulting flirtations. No more pushing your feelings to the deepest, darkest part of your heart. No more wishing you were more like someone else.

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A furious pounding at Jace's bedroom door woke him from his restful dozing. He opened the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he stared at Clary, who looked like she could raise hell in her penguin pajamas and a baggy stained t-shirt. He hadn't seen her since their coffee outing since she'd opted out of dinner. He knew she was angry at him, but he didn't have any idea as to why. He'd brushed it off as girl stuff, thinking she'd get over it by morning. But here they were, 2:49 A.M. with Clary still very pissed.

"Hey Clary. Uh, do you know what time it is?" He asked, covering a yawn with his mouth. She stomped past him into his room, shutting the door behind her.

"If we're going to keep going out in public together, I want you to wear a Mendelin rune." Jace shook his head, trying to wake himself up. He was sure he'd heard incorrectly.

"What did you say?"

"I said when we go out together, I want you to wear a Mendelin rune." Jace was shocked.

"Is this some kind of joke? That's not funny. That's just weird." Jace said, going to sit down on his bed. Clary stayed standing, looking down at him.

"No, I'm not kidding. If you don't do it, I don't think I'll be able to go out with you anymore." Jace was absolutely baffled. Was this why she had been so moody all day?

"Are you embarrassed by me? Is that why you're acting this way? Did I make a fool of myself with your friends yesterday?" Jace asked coldly. He glared at Clary, angry and upset. "Because I was nice to them and didn't say anything rude. If anything, you were rude! You were quiet the whole time and didn't engage at all."

"Are you serious? You seriously didn't see what they were doing? Are you that oblivious?"

"I guess I am. By the Angel, Clary, what the hell what were they doing that made you so bitchy yesterday?" He yelled, his and Clary's voice loud enough to wake the whole household. They were both standing now, feet away from one another and full of fury. Good thing the Institute walls were thick.

"Jesus, Jace, they were flirting the whole time! As soon as we got there, they ignored me and talked to you the whole time! And you encouraged them!"

"I was being nice to your old friends, Clary! What would you have liked me to do? Yell at them? Stand up on the table, defend your honor, carry you home bridal style? This isn't a goddamn romance novel!"

"I know that Jace! I'd just like to stop worrying every time we go out together that you'll leave me!" At these words, the two Shadowhunters stopped yelling, stared at each other, letting Clary's words sink in. Clary blinked away hot tears, feeling so, so stupid. The one thing she'd promised never to tell Jace had been revealed in her most vulnerable moment. After a minute, they both calmed down a bit, let themselves fall down from their places of fury. It was silent for a while, both of them consumed in thought. Jace sat back down on his bed and Clary slowly walked over to where he was.

"Do you really think I'd leave you? After everything we've been through?" Jace asked, looking up at her, golden eyes filled with confusion and regret at the things said and done. Clary sat next to him, a bit of distance left between them. She hung her head, refusing to look at him. She felt awful. She'd always promised herself never to tell Jace about her jealous feelings and now they had been spoken aloud, never to be forgotten by either of them.

"I... I don't know." Might as well say it all. There's no coming back now. "It's just…", Clary pushed some hair out of her face, peering to the side to gauge Jace's reaction to her words. "Being out in public with you, it's just so tiring. There's always another girl ready to date you who's better than me, and I just look at them, and I look at you and think that you'd rather have her than me. And I wish I was more like her." There. She'd said it all. It was out there. Clary felt a weight off her shoulders, a weight she didn't even know she'd been carrying. She felt light, free, emancipated. Jace stared at Clary, his eyes burning hers. She could practically hear the wheels in his head turning, squeaking, trying to figure out what to do, what to say to make the situation better. But there was nothing he could do. Clary knew it had been a crazy request to ask for him to wear a Mendelin rune. But when the idea had struck her, it had seemed so perfect. No one would see Jace anymore. No one would flirt. They would be happy.

"Clary, why didn't you just tell me you felt this way? You don't have to keep things as big as this from me." Jace explained, his voice sprinkled with guilt. Clary hadn't meant to make him feel guilty. She looked over at him, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

"I'm sorry Jace. I just felt… immature. And embarrassed. My feelings didn't seem important, anyway." She smiled a bit, a dimple appearing in her cheek as she said, "And I didn't want to inflate your ego." Jace offered a slight grin in return, reaching over to hold Clary's hand in his.

"First of all, my ego is alright in maximum capacity, and rightfully so." Jace quipped, making Clary snigger. "And second, I never think your feelings aren't important. Don't ever believe otherwise." Clary blushed a bit, ducking her head down so he couldn't see the way her cheeks turned pink. Clary heard him shifting around a bit, then next thing she knew Jace was in front of her on his knees, looking up at her, using his hand to gently guide her gaze towards him. She gazed into his eyes and saw honesty.

"Clary, I love you. I'm not going to fall in love with anyone else. There is no one better fit for me than you. You have my entire heart until death, and even after that my heart will be yours." Clary couldn't stop the smile that came across her. She felt like she'd known this all along, but her doubts had consumed the things she knew, making her anxious about the most obvious things. Hearing Jace tell her that he loved her, the only thing she could ever count on in her times of peril, cleared her mind of any other girls. Jace saw her smile and returned it. He offered her his hand and she accepted it, letting him rise to his feet and pull her into his arms, a tight hug full of apologies for the things they had screamed at one another in the heat of the moment. She felt his nestle his head into her neck, his warm breath muffled by her hair. He whispered gently into her ear, "And stop comparing yourself to other girls. You don't have to be more like anybody else. I love you, so be you." These words were all Clary needed to hear. Months of anger, jealousy, and sorrow faded away with this simple statement. She hugged him tighter, knowing that no matter how many other girls fawned over Jace, his love for her was undeniable. Jace leaned down a bit to gently kiss Clary's nose, and Clary stood up on her tiptoes, fusing her lips with his. Jace pulled away, a sleepy toothless smile on his face as he pulled his girlfriend towards his bed, tucking her under the covers with him as their bodies molded to each other. Just as they were about to fall into a carefree slumber, Jace positioned his lips near Clary's ear, murmuring in her, "A Mendelin rune? Really?" Clary snickered, turning into Jace's body, letting his heart, the one that would always beat for her, lull her into a deep sleep.

 **Whew! How was it? Jealous Clary was a lot of fun, and I think her doubts and fears are ones we can all relate to in our lives. Did you catch the slight reference to the quote from City of Glass? Hint: "There is no pretending". If you have a suggestion for my next prompt, I'd love to hear it. Review! Until next time!**

 **-FlamingAshes**


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